How to fix lawn

Since it is Aug already and hot here in NJ, what can I do now to stop the weeds and crab grass. I did the Scotts steps but seem to have had some bad luck this year. My front is about 5% crab grass and the back is about 50/50 with grass to weeds. Also, when is the correct time to overseed and can I get the back yard back into shape over the next couple of years by overseeding?

Thanks

Reply to
Guitarist511
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Use liquid crabgrass killer now to kill the plants before they drop their seeds. Then use pre-emergent crabgrass preventer in the spring (March).

Water, water, water. Strengthen your lawn and it will crowd out the crabgrass and weeds.

Over seed in the spring and fall will help. But keep it wet so the the sprouts don't die. But if it is a really wet spring or fall, you might risk the seed rotting.

Reply to
Stubby

Reply to
Sir Topham Hatt

Where do you find a lawn food that gives you seven months of nutrition?

Reply to
Steveo

If you are applying fertilizer to cool season grasses in summer, as per the Scotts program, you are asking for trouble. Nitrogen, hot temps, humidity, and water are a prescription for fungus and disease. Generally, one application of fertilizer plus pre-emergent control in Spring is all you want till Sept. In NJ, that should go down about mid April.

As to what you have now, it's questionable what to do about the crabgrass. You can kill it, but it's not going to be easy now, as the plants are fairly large. A month ago, it would have been much easier. If you want to kill it, I recommend Acclaim, which is very effective. For the other weeds, use a broadleaf weedkiller, like Weed B Gone. Don't apply either when it's going to be 85 or above, or when the grass is stressed due to lack of water, etc. Unfortunately, again, current conditions aren't favorable.

Sept is the ideal time to seed. Depending on how big of a mess you have and whether you have undesirable grass present, eg coarse rough stalk grass, disease prone grass, etc, you may want to kill the whole thing and reseed. To do that, use Roundup in late Aug, then reseed about 10 days later, using an appropriate and high quality seed. Get the soil tested and adjust the PH as needed.

For an established lawn, you should fertilize twice in Fall, once in early Sept, again in mid to late Oct. And don't overwater. More lawns have probably been killed by overwatering than by lack of water. The lawn should be watered every 4-7 days, depending on soil and temp. You want to give it a deep watering, not shallow infrequent. I'd go with about 3/4" at a time.

Reply to
trader4

at yo mamas house

Reply to
Jose

It's not 7 months from mid April to early Sept. And in summer, cool season grasses do not want to be agressively growing. While extra nitrogen in summer will make the lawn greener, it also makes it a lot more vulnerable to disease and fungus. IMO, for the typical lawn, the tradeoff is not worth it. You could put down another application in late May, but I definitely would not be applying fertilizer in mid summer.

Reply to
trader4

We are feeding with 70% slow release now. Out of the 2000 or so that we feed every six weeks, we've had to apply a fungicide to less that 50 of them.

Insect damage is much more of a problem in the summer months, especially chinch bug right now.

Reply to
Steveo

Hi Scott Gilbert.

Get off my leg you over-medicated freak.

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Reply to
Steveo

I concluded the crab grass preventer I used, is gone. The pounding rain has reduced its barrior. Maybe if you can find pre-emergance crab grass killer again (sold out around me). and use spot killers to clear up your lawn, might help.

I guessed too hot for, reseeding. Plus, I'm trying to use Bayer's Weed and Crab Grass killer, in a sprayer, which says not to reseed too soon.

later,

tom @

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Reply to
Tom The Great

Iron - required for the formation of chlorophyll in plant cells. Iron deficiency can be common in alkaline soils, resulting in chlorosis, the yellowing of leaves

chlorophyll

1: the green photosynthetic pigment found chiefly in the chloroplasts of plants and occurring esp. as a blue-black ester C55H72MgN4O5 or a dark green ester C55H70MgN4O6 ? called also respectively chlorophyll a, chlorophyll

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a dark green lush fescue lawn during the dog days of HOT summer?

yes! then read and learn about ironite. the information is on their webpage

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is the reason people sign up on a waiting list to become one of my customers. I tell them, if a current customer dies or moves away I'll call you and let you know how that event moved you up on the list.

so there's the secret and it's called Ironite.

as a guide for central North Carolina apply 16-4-8 in mid March at the rate of 20 lbs/3000 sq. ft. then starting in late May apply between one to one and one half pounds per one hundred square feet every 45 to 50 days of Ironite to maintain that dark rich green color people are willing to pay large for and stand in line quietly to obtain. then go back to the 20 lbs 16-4-8 around late October or after your daytime high temps are going to remain for the most part below 78F.

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their summer fertilizer recommendation. notice how the chart on their page keeps saying PLUS IRON now you know where to get the IRON.

Reply to
Jim Ledford

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grass types known as hot season or hot weather grasses do REQUIRE fertilizer with high nitrogen applications during summer.

Reply to
Jim Ledford

I agree that Ironite is good stuff, will make a lawn greener and because it has close to zero nitrogen is great for summer use. I have a bag of it in my garage. Unfortunately, the cost of using Ironite is a lot more than putting down cheap nitrogen, which is what most people go for when trying to make a lawn green, regardless of the time of year.

Reply to
trader4

Ever see what too much iron does? Makes nitrogen look like a sissy.

Reply to
Steveo

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more than just a fun to say word.

Reply to
Jim Ledford

I run 1% iron in all my food, no worries.

Reply to
Steveo

Reply to
unknown

All great comments. I too started using Milorganite. I think a crab grass preventer though is really needed at the beginning, and I'm going back to the chems.

Anyway, I got some of that Weed-be-Gone Crab Grass Killer. I sprayed the front lawn. I don't know if it'll really do much, but I read the crab grass dies anyway every winter and its the seeds you have to worry about. If I use a crab grass preventor in the spring, I think I'll be okay. Scotts says it works all season.

As far as reseeding, I really don't want to kill everything I have in my back yard. My property is a good size and that I feel would be too costly. Every feels that the fall is a better time to overseed than in the spring? If I did do it in the fall, September is the time to do it or can I push it say to Oct or Nov? Also, is watering required for overseeding in the fall or no because soon after the seeds would be dormant?

Reply to
Guitarist511

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